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Azusa’s defense speaks louder than words, but you have to love what they’re saying too

I love the confidence I read from Azusa players, and that’s what it is, plain old confidence, don’t confuse it with anything else. That belief is what gives them an opportunity to go a long way. They understand their situation, why they have skeptics, and when one of your team leaders, Edwin Garcia says, “Anything less than a CIF championship would be a disappointment. We want to earn respect because we know we’re lacking that respect,” it tells me they get it and are ready for the journey that lies ahead. I still don’t know if they’re talented enough to win it all. None of us do, that remains to be seen. But I know this, you can’t win it if you don’t believe you can win it first, and these boys believe they can. That’s half the battle right there.

By Aram Tolegian
AZUSA – The Azusa High School football team knows that despite its 10-0 record and No. 1 seed in the Mid-Valley Division playoffs, there are still plenty of doubters around the Valley when it comes to the Aztecs’ validity. “They haven’t played anyone,” the skeptics say. Others argue that Azusa comes from the weak Montview League.
After allowing just 30 total points this season, there’s one group of Aztecs that’s anxiously awaiting its chance to show the Valley just how real Azusa is, and that would be the defensive line. (To continue click thread).

“I think it’s the past years, the bad teams, that have people thinking we’re all luck,” defensive tackle Nick Valverde said when asked to explain why Azusa still has its share of doubters.

The Aztecs will get a chance to start proving the naysayers wrong at Citrus College on Friday night, when they host Village Christian in the first round.

Winning is nothing for Azusa. The Aztecs won 21 games the previous two seasons, including an unbeaten run in the Montview that they extended to three years this season.

Last year’s team reached the semifinals of the playoffs before bowing out to eventual champion San Dimas, but until this year’s undefeated run, Azusa had been viewed like the flu – something that could cause a lot of damage but eventually will pass.

That hasn’t happened, though. By being 10-0 and technically the favorites to win the division, area fans are having to view Azusa in a whole new light that some folks don’t seem eager to do.

“I agree with that,” defensive end Luis Nunez said, referring to the argument that Azusa hasn’t played anybody, “but it doesn’t matter; we’ll still show them what we’ve got in CIF.”

Added defensive end Edwin Garcia: “If we had a choice, we’d want to take on a tougher nonleague, too, but we don’t have control over that. All we could do was play who we got and play hard every game.”

Garcia, Nunez and Valverde join forces with interior tackle Alex Tapia to form what coaches consider to be the main reason Azusa’s defense is allowing just three points per game and has six shutouts.

Weight-wise, Tapia is the largest of the group at 250 pounds. The entire quartet doesn’t have a player over 6 feet tall, but nobody weighs less than 190 pounds either. So what you get is an athletic group that can use quickness and strength to subdue bigger offensive lines.

“I think everyone plays a role on this defense,” Tapia said while trying to deflect credit for Azusa’s gaudy numbers. “So it’s basically the whole defense that makes us good.”

It’s true that Azusa boasts two of the best linebackers around in Jose Nunez (101 tackles) and Eric Perez (94 tackles), but without the front four making their job easier, the stats wouldn’t follow.

“If you have a good d-line, it’s easier for the corners and the linebackers to get tackles,” Garcia said. “Since we’re smaller than other linemen, we just have to outwork everybody we see. We play each play like it’s our last one.”

Although the outside world is taking a wait-and-see approach with the Aztecs, Garcia’s noticed in several places he goes that the city is firmly behind the team.

“It’s kind of funny, because I go sometimes to our closest Taco Bell, and there are some past alumni who used to play football at Azusa there and they recognize who I am and they say `What’s up?’ to me and they know who I am,” Garcia said.

“They say we’re doing something great for the city. It feels like every Friday our community comes together and watches our games. It’s not like we’re playing for each other, but the city, too.”

As the Village Christian game nears, the players know that what they do Friday and hopefully over the next four weeks offers them a shot at local infamy.

With their city behind them and most of the outside world waiting for the fall, Nunez, Valverde, Tapia and Garcia are more than happy to make sure anything trying to get in Azusa’s way gets dealt with in the exact same way as the Aztecs’ previous 10 victims.

“Anything less than a CIF championship would be a disappointment,” Garcia said. “We want to earn respect because we know we’re lacking that respect.

“We want to prove people wrong and prove to the Valley that we are legit.

“We believe if we win CIF, there’s no possible regrets that we can have.”

About Fred Robledo

Let me be the first to say, Aztec Pride, hope you enjoyed your coffee and newspaper this morning….

Weak or Weaker

Hey Coach Rohrer I guess you and the La Puente Warriors are nobody’s. How’s that feel to get dissed in an article by a team that plays in a weak league and handed you your only league loss? The weak dumping the on the weak ha ha ha ha.
Too bad you guys get no repsect after all the Montview is really weak.So who cares right, so whats all the fuzz over the Azusa Aztecs.
Look in the dictionary the meaning of HYPE…….AZUSA AZTECS.

Maytag Repair Man

Are the washing machines broke in Azusa? Peeeuuuuuu that picture stinks.

Nope

Weak or weaker, wow i sure hope you are not an adult talking like a teenager. Any teenager who gets an article on them is a huge up coming, and now you are making kids feel crappy about something their families are proud of. Maybe you should Congratulate rather then put down. Anyways!! Great job Aztecs boys, iam sure your families are Very Proud of you as well as the rest of the City. Good Luck to all teams this Week in thier playoff game!!! HAVE FUN!!! give lots of high fives!!!!

jmcdonough

Azusa,
Congrats on your success! Don’t let anyone or there hater comments affect you in anyway. When my son was playing the covina 05 and 06 teams they used to say the same things they were in a weak league and who did they play. They beat St. Josephs and gave tesoro the best game they ever had that season in playoffs and gained some of the respect they deserved. Give them hell in playoffs and prove who you really are…..a great football team!!!!!!
Best of luck to you!
Jody mcd

the Voice of the Warriors

To all of you ney-sayers…let me say this. The Aztecs have earned the #1 seeding and until your team can knock them off, you can whine all you want. This team is the most disiplined team I’ve seen all season. They love their coach and they play with passion. This is a team that has heard it all (during the season)but has quietly have gone about their business and has kick butt! Azusa can and will compete with anyone in the div. As for La Puente, they have a couple of key players back this week (injuries) and I believe they’re in a good position to win in the first round. Ok, so Maranatha leads the div. with over 2,600 yds passing. Well the Warriors are #3 in the div. in rushing with over 2,500 yds so stuff that in your pipe and smoke it! Coach Rohrer and his staff will have his team ready on Friday night. Gladstone has one of the toughest draws in the first round but I know Coach Sanchez will have them ready to complete also…I’d love to see that upset!

Best of Luck to all of the Montview League Teams!

“The Voice of the Warriors”

Colt74

Breaking News:
(AP)Los Angeles, CA. It started around 7 AM this morning. The phone request lines at local oldies radio station K-EARTH 101 started ringing. And they have not stopped since. Turns out over 2 million requests have come into the radio station in over 2 short hours for only one song. But, that is not the astonishing part. The song that is being requested is being dedicated from only one person in the city of Azusa to three local High School sports editors at the San Gabriel Valley Tribune. For more on this breaking story follow link….

Jody mcd beat me to posting the same sentiments for my second post ( have to wait x amount of time before posting again ).

I’ll have fun with Azusa and the PRIDE because I can. But that’s all it is. Fun. The TRUTH is that Azusa and the PRIDE deserve all the praise in the world. They have earned it. They have nothing to prove to anyone out here. Their coach and their players have already accomplished what the rest of us can only dream of. Face facts..there is a new sheriff( or Scherf )in town
and from the looks of things he’s not going away any time soon. Enjoy it Azusa and PRIDE. You’ve earned it!

Haha.

@Weak or Weaker said:
This is just showing what they have to say about their journey.
This is no “Diss”. Haha, you are a funny guy.
La puente sucks.
Azusa Allowed 30 points.
That is good.
Say otherwise, that is just a bias empty opinion.
They have proved their worth to us, just not to you.
Fool.

SaintsR4real

“SAN DIMAS HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL RULES”

“Boys Of Fall”

When I feel that chill, smell that fresh cut grass
I’m back in my helmet, cleats, and shoulderpads
Standin’ in the huddle, listenin’ to the call
Fans goin’ crazy for the boys of fall

They didn’t let just anybody in that club
Took every ounce of heart and sweat and blood
To get to wear those game-day jerseys down the hall
Kings of the school, man, we’re the boys of fall

Well, it’s turn and face the Stars and Stripes, it’s fighting back them butterflies
It’s calling in the air, “Alrighty, yes sir, we want the ball”
And it’s knockin’ heads and talkin’ trash, it’s slinging mud and dirt and grass
It’s I got your number, I got your back when your back’s against the wall

You mess with one man, you got us all
We’re the boys of fall

In little towns like mine that’s all they got
Newspaper clippings fill the coffeeshops
The old men will always think they know it all
Young girls will dream about the boys of fall

Well, it’s turn and face the Stars and Stripes, it’s fighting back them butterflies
It’s calling in the air, “Alrighty, yes sir, we want the ball”
And it’s knockin’ heads and talkin’ trash, it’s slinging mud and dirt and grass
It’s I got your number, I got your back when your back’s against the wall

You mess with one man, you got us all
The boys of fall

Well, it’s turn and face the Stars and Stripes, it’s fighting back them butterflies
It’s calling in the air, “Alrighty, yes sir, we want the ball”
And it’s knockin’ heads and talkin’ trash, it’s slinging mud and dirt and grass
It’s I got your number, I got your back when your back’s against the wall

You mess with one man, you got us all
The boys of fall

We’re the boys of fall

AZTEC PRIDE

FRED!!! THANK YOU, HAHAHAH… That’s right, a good cup of coffee and Fred’s prep sport page in the MORNINGS OR ANYTIME!

ENJOY THIS ARTICLE CITY OF AZUSA!

TAKECARE FRED!

ARAM! NICE JOB AND YOU WON’T GET ANY ARGUMENTS FROM ME! LOL… This was a story that needed to be told! I’m sure all the people from AZUSA appreciate a little press coverage! Back when my son played for Scherf in 2008, when they won their first playoff game and it was 25 years since they had won. The SGV TRIBUNE placed AZUSA in the front pages, and we definitely put that in our scrapbook!

So you AZUSA Seniors DEFINITLEY want to cut this article out! This will soon be a great memory with your teammates for years to come! I talk to a lot of explayers that I run into at the games or around AZUSA, and they all say the same thing, that they miss playing and they’re happy for AZUSA!

I’ll say this, AZUSA always had talent but it was lacking one key ingredient, and that was COACH SCHERF, and everybody is over looking Coach Beltran who is doing a phenomenal job! Coach Scherf brought him up when he took over as head coach, and he was the freshmen coach at the time! Mr. Beltran is an outstanding person and great with the kids! He’s one of those Coaches you want your kid playing for! Never did I once hear him screaming at the kids when my son played for Beltran, and he would always encourage them!

Beltran, I wish you continued success in your coaching career and I know one day you’ll be a HEAD COACH again, because that’s a great honor to run a HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL program!

To the rest of the coaching staff and especially Bubba,Bettle, Muncie(DEFENSE) ,, congratulations for winning the Montview League for the third time in a row, and OH YES THEY NOW KNOW WHO THE MONTVIEW LEAGUE IS NOW! I mean how could they not; after CIF made AZUSA the number#1 seed in the SGV and the only remaining undefeated team!

THATS HOW YOU GET RESPECT BY GOING 10-0, and allowing only 30 points all season long!
RESPECT IS EARNED WITH HARD WORK, AND NOT JUST GIVEN OUT! GREAT JOB AZUSA AND YOU HAVE DEFINITELY EARNED THE RESPECT OF THE CIF ORGANIZATION!

GOOD LUCK TO YOU IN YOUR GOAL AND THE CITY OF AZUSA IS BEHIND YOU!
2008, 2009, 2010 MONTVIEW LEAGUE CHAMPIONS!

AZUSA FOOTBALL.

AZTEC PRIDE!

AMAT 73

Vey nice article on Azusa . Hey Pride I bet that knocked your socks off when you saw those Aztecs on the front page of the sports section this morning . I couldn’t help but think of you when I opened the paper this morning. Great attitude by these young men especially the point of having to outwork the competition . Good luck this Friday and take the first step towards that title by getting the victory. Stay focused and keep working hard.

Call Me A Doubter

If holding teams in a league that includes Bassett,Gladstone and Duarte to under thirty is an accomplishment.Then hell surely has frozen over!

AZTEC PRIDE

AMAT73, COLT74, JCMCDONOUGH, THE VOICE OF THE WARRIORS AND AARON YOU GUYS ARE FIRST RATE, AND I BUY YOU A CUP OF COFFEE AND THE TRIBUNE PAPER ANYTIME!LOL…

GOOD LUCK TO THE TEAMS YOUR PULLING FOR AND APPRECIATE THE KIND WORDS, because you know it goes both ways on here!

THANK YOU!

MidValley

Fred, I highly suggest you show up to the Arroyo/SD game tomorrow. Bring your boy Aram with you. You two need to see what Z and his coaches have going on right now. It is downright scary. I think it may shed some light on the Mid Valley.

Dan

Fred thats a nice article,
Great to hear about Azusa and the way coach Scherf has turned that program around, wether they go all the way or even if they lose this week,[ I hope they keep winning] it’s a success story that is catching fire in the town of Azusa. Hearing how the kids get noticed by people in town or by former players gives you that small town feeling, probably brings a little excitement that many in the city can look forward to on Friday nights, you never know what this can turn into in a few years.
What I like best about the tribunes picture of the Azusa linemen is instead of trying to look big and bad and full of themselves, they all have big smiles on their face, they just look like they have great attitudes.

Dee

Yay….finally an article showing what the Aztecs really are about. And my son noted as one of the areas top linebackers. Way to go PAPA!

AZTEC PRIDE

DEE, CONGRATULATIONS on your son’s 10-0 SEASON, and winning the Montview League (CHAMPIONSHIP) three years in a row! Believe me, he’ll never forget about that! CHAMPIONSHIPS are not just given out, they are earned by hard work and countless HOURS of practice! Dee you and I know that’s a great accommplishment for the Montview League in any sport!

I hope your son continues his football career and good luck to your son in the PLAYOFFS and see you their at the GAME!

You might still be the First Mom of SGV Quarterbacks. I hope you’re out supporting the Colts, but should they fall, you ought to join the Azusa bandwagon. Maybe even go down on the track and tell Jake Martinez it’s time for a touchdown should the Aztecs be trailing late.

Bones

Agreed. Azusa football has earned the #1 seed, cause of the accomplishments of the last three years and an undefeated regular season. Coach Scherf, has received respect from other area programs, but Azusa as itself has not. Anyways, Dont go home crying to CIF how the refs were favoring Covina in the Semis… for real, that gets annoying, should both team advance in the next two weeks… AGAIN… COVINA IS NOT THE SAME EFFEN TEAM THE AZTECS FACED IN THE PLAYOFFS THE LAST TWO SEASONS….COVINA WILL WOMP AZUSA IN 2010!

TO ALL YOU AZUSA FOOTBALL PLAYERS

I KNOW MANY OF YOU AZUSA PLAYERS READ THIS BLOG AND READ ALL THE POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE COMMENTS ABOUT YOUR TEAM. I KNOW IT CAN SOMETIMES BREAK YOUR HEART WHEN THE MAJORITY OF THE PEOPLE DOUBT YOU AND NEVER GIVE YOU ANY RESPECT. BUT IT GIVES YOU NO REASON AT ALL TO HAVE TO PROVE ANY OF THESE IMMATURE GROWN ADULTS ANYTHING. YOU HAVE NOBODY TO PROVE BUT YOURSELVES AND YOUR TEAMMATES NEXT TO YOU. “Being perfect is about being able to look your friends in the eye and know that you didnt let them down because you told them the truth. And that truth is you did everything you could.” YOU DONT HAVE TO PROVE PEOPLE WRONG AND YOU DONT HAVE TO PROVE THIS VALLEY ANYTHING AT ALL. YOU WANT TO LOOK BACK TO THIS TIME AND KNOW THAT YOU GAVE IT YOUR ALL AND YOU WORKED AS HARD AS YOU COULD WITH ALL YOUR MIGHT FOR YOURSELF AND YOUR TEAMMATES TO WIN.
GO AZUSA AZTECS
FIGHT ON!

montview fan

this is great! sounds like the schools that EVERYBODY doubts are starting to make a difference! this story reminds me of the sierra vista girls soccer team last year.. well,

GOOD LUCK AZTECS! MAY YOU MAKE YOUR CITY PROUD!

zzzzzzzz

zzzzzzz………yawn………zzzzzzzz

AZTEC PRIDE

Bones, you lost your composure and you cracked! YOU COULD NO LONGER HOLD BACK YOUR FEELINGS.LOL… SURE YOU CAN BONES, AND YOU KEEP REPEATING THAT OVER AND OVER… Bones, the third time is charm! By the way, Covina better be worrying about WHITTER CHRISTIAN, because according to the OC register, they have them winning it all!

AZTEC PRIDE!

Bones

I don’t allow myself to agree or care about anything in Orange County.

I’m not going to think about covina going down, and you know that team has all my viking sons on it….I am supporting them all the way…GO COLTS!!!!!! I still support Azusa and am proud of their success and if they did. Need a little coaching for their qtrback in playoffs I would surely be there in a heartbeat. What’s interesting is this weekeds jr all american finals championship in the PeeWee division is none other than Covina vs. Azusa. To awsome teams. I gaurantee that in the years to come we are still going to be blogging about the success of these two teams in high school. Bones be cool and remember how covina has had to deal with all the negativity in the past. Rivalry is rivalry. But keep repect for a teams success and you’ll earn best wishes and success for your own!
J mcd

Dee

Thanks Aztec Pride,
Thank you for the well wishes. Its so good to see how we or at least some of us can be composed Adults and blog appropriatly. I know sometimes we all have a time here and there where we get a little excited and let the bad typing get to us. But over all I enjoy the blogs and love to read the dedication you have to Azusa. Hope to see you at the game! Go Aztecs.
@ OMG
Do you think Azusa coach is preping for the QB/LB leaving. there is a reason he plays 2 QB’s in the game. He’s a smart man and as I can see is dedicated to the program not just a Champonship.

Mr. Mal A. Prop

Aram great article.

I just want to know one thing,

Do you know what “INFAMY” means and it’s proper application?

Charles Manson, Scott Petersen and indeed, the Japanese after they attacked Pearl Harbor…”enjoyed” local, national and indeed international “infamy”

How would Azusa’s Championship “run” constitute “local infamy”?

AS Norm Crosby would say, “Who needs a college “decree” when it’s Show Business?

FDR is the man that made the word “infamy” famous.

Too funny.

AZTEC BLUE & BLACK

whether they stay on top or not, it is great to see the crowd and the city continue to back the current AZTEC FOOTBALL run..there hasnt been a buzz like this since the days of JACK RAMIREZ CONNECTING TO STERLING CHAFFINS AND MIKE SANFORD. JOEL JARA OPENING HOLES FOR STEVE RODRIGUEZ..OR JARA COTA AND SMITH LINE-BACKING for the stubborn AZTEC DEFENSE…enjoy this time and run AZTEC FANS/ALUMS, who knows when this will come around again…

AZTEC BLUE & BLACK

whether they stay on top or not, it is great to see the crowd and the city continue to back the current AZTEC FOOTBALL run..there hasnt been a buzz like this since the days of JACK RAMIREZ CONNECTING TO STERLING CHAFFINS AND MIKE SANFORD. JOEL JARA OPENING HOLES FOR STEVE RODRIGUEZ..OR JARA COTA AND SMITH LINE-BACKING for the stubborn AZTEC DEFENSE…enjoy this time and run AZTEC FANS/ALUMS, who knows when this will come around again…

AZTEC BLUE & BLACK

whether they stay on top or not, it is great to see the crowd and the city continue to back the current AZTEC FOOTBALL run..there hasnt been a buzz like this since the days of JACK RAMIREZ CONNECTING TO STERLING CHAFFINS AND MIKE SANFORD. JOEL JARA OPENING HOLES FOR STEVE RODRIGUEZ..OR JARA COTA AND SMITH LINE-BACKING for the stubborn AZTEC DEFENSE…enjoy this time and run AZTEC FANS/ALUMS, who knows when this will come around again…

The Truth

Well, I guess the “curse” of Aram is true. This shows that you are clueless when it comes to football you tool. Azusa has been overrated all year and people like you have been giving them false hope and undeserved coverage. For what??? A Montview league championship??? Really? Let’s see what kind of excuse you can come up with now.

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